Libraries Announces Applications for Reimagining the Research Assignment 2017 Workshop

Application deadline extended to January 31, 2016!

The Libraries is once again accepting faculty applications for the third round of “Reimagining the Research Assignment,” a collaborative workshop between OHIO librarians and faculty to evaluate and improve student research skills—and foster student success.

Kelly Masterson, a doctoral student in English, and lorraine Wochna, subject librarian of English language and literature, among other disciplines, work together during the “Reimagining the Research Assignment” at Alden Library, Nov. 20, 2015. (Photo by John Michael Simpson/Ohio University Libraries)

The workshop covers common frustrations encountered by instructors and students, ways to address those bottlenecks, and creative ideas for activities and assignments that boost student literacy about information use.

“The intensive collaboration with one’s subject librarian is really the lynchpin of this process,” says Sherri Saines, chair of the Libraries’ Community of Practice organizational team. “But the fun part, the real meat of the thing, is working one-on-one, faculty and librarian, crafting something that finally gets results, reduces everyone’s frustration, and improves the quality of student work.”

This year, the program consists of a single two-hour workshop in Alden Library on Feb. 22, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that includes lunch— and is followed by an in-depth collaboration with a subject librarian, and then deployment of the revised assignment in fall of 2017.

Any faculty, adjunct, instructor, or teaching graduate student is eligible to apply. The application process is a very short online form. All applications are due January 31, 2017.

Designed to aid faculty in improving student learning—from analyzing text to discovering and synthesizing large amounts of data—the program’s main goal is to work with faculty to incorporate successful information practices into classrooms in every discipline.

For faculty like Aimee Edmonson, associate professor of journalism who participated in last year’s workshop, a marked improvement was seen in students’ assignments: “I was able to see a substantial change in the quality of [the students’] work,” reflects Edmonson.

Announcements of acceptance into the program will be made by February 10. This cohort is limited to 30 participants. For more information contact Sherri Saines.

Be sure to watch the video below of faculty participants from last year’s workshop: